I'll Always Choose You
by Hairi Esh Mooncake
Summary: [3x22] "If it was just down to him and me and you had to make a choice who got the goodbye, who would it be?" My take on events, when it's Damon Elena chooses to come to.
1. Chapter 1

**I'll Always Choose You**

**A/N: just had to try this idea out. **

**Disclaimer: no ownership, as always. **

* * *

She regained consciousness with a slight buzz in her head. She shifted her head from her seat, her eyes focusing on the things around her.

„What's going on?" she whispered, confusion visible in her voice. She glanced towards Matt, who was at the wheel.

"It's the only way I was gonna get you in this truck," Matt said pointedly, momentary fixing her a glance and then back on the road.

It hit her then. "The tea," she began. "You drugged me?" Her voice rose a bit in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Elena, but you're right, okay," Matt began defensively. "You don't have any parents to tell you what's right or wrong, you've got me and Jeremy and a bunch of vampires fighting a war you shouldn't be in the middle of."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What the hell is going on, Matt?" she demanded in a strong voice.

"I'm getting you out of town, Elena," Matt shot back, leaving bewildered Elena staring at him. "It's the only way to keep you safe."

* * *

She looked at Matt as he was having some kind of conversation with her brother. Apparently, he was in this too.

"Got it, Jer," Matt simply said and hung up.

"We have to go back," she started in a steady voice. Matt only spared her a single look and said nothing. "Listen to me, Matt," Elena began again, her voice rising with importance of her words. He couldn't possibly be thinking that she would run off to safety while everyone else were left out in the open to die.

"If Klaus is the one that turned their bloodline, then they're all gonna die!" Her voice cracking at the end. Matt simply didn't respond, keeping his face expressionless. "We have to go back, Matt!" she yelled out with determination.

"Elena," Matt began.

"What?"

He gulped once and turned sideways to look at Elena. "Damon's _not_ with them." He looked at her meaningfully.

She looked stunned for a moment, only a small sound escaping her mouth. "What?"

"He's a hundred miles out of town. I can keep driving to him… or I can turn around and go back to Stefan." He gestured behind himself, leaving Elena speechless. "It's your choice."

_You have to choose._

Her heart skipped a dreadful beat, sending a cold shiver through her spine. Matt still kept looking at her, waiting for her command to go whichever way. She knew that she had to make the decision sooner or later, but she never imagined it would be something like this.

She should go back.

To everyone. To her friends. Family. _Stefan_. She should come back to them all. That's what _Elena_ who had responsibilities to her people should do. But then _he_ would be left all alone. As always. Forgotten, lonely, non-deserving.

_But he did deserve to have someone in his life_.

Matt noticed her uncertainty. „Do you want me to turn around?" he asked, seeking her eyes for an answer. She kept looking at him for a while longer when she gulped, turning her head around, towards the window.

„No. I can't leave him alone," she whispered softly. Matt merely nodded to her, understanding who the he was.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she expected panic to overcome her, but it never came. Ironically, her heart was at peace. This may have been one of her worst decisions ever made but she decided to abandon brain for once and let her heart lead. Because even if she did love Stefan, she did, he came into her life when she most needed someone...she also couldn't help thinking that if Damon came into her life first, would she still had gotten together with Stefan?

_If only she met him first..._

She just couldn't shake him off, no matter how much she tried. And in their last moments, she knew who she wanted to see most.

A few dozens of trees passed by when Elena finally put her hand into her pocket, taking out her phone.

„Who're you calling?" Matt asked softly.

„Stefan," Elena replied blankly, keeping her eyes on the object in hand.

„What're you going to tell him?" he asked. She locked her gaze to his for a moment but then broke the contact.

„I don't know," she whispered, lifelessly.

It didn't take long for him to pick up. _„Elena?"_ His voice came through. Just from hearing his voice, she felt pain of guilt and something else, something new to her, filling her insides.

„Matt's taking me out of town," she said instead of anything else. There was not much to say, really. Even if there was a lot. She just didn't know what.

_„I heard. It's alright. You'll be safe."_

„No, it's not that..I don't care about being safe, you know better than anyone that I would go back right away if it was only that..."

After a short pause, his voice made her heart skip a beat. _„Damon is there. So you heard."_

„I love you, Stefan...but I just..."

_„But you need to see him."_

„Stefan, I-„ she broke off, collecting her thoughts. „If I could-„

_„You should do what your heart wants, Elena. That's all I ever wished for you."_

She pressed her quivering lips together, stifling the upcoming sob from escaping her mouth. „Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek.

_„I never regretted loving you, you know. You always fought for me, even after seeing the worst of me."_

She grimaced, as pain soared in her chest from his words. She clutched the phone close to her ear_. _

_„You deserve to have your final moment with who-„_ he abruptly cut himself short, taking a deep breath in. Elena waited for him, letting him have his moment, until he finally spoke again.

_„Live well, Elena. For all of us together." _With that, he hung up.

She let her phone stay near her ear for a while longer as she got her breathing under control.

„Elena? You alright?" Matt asked, concern in his voice.

„Yeh. I'm fine." She just nodded and picked her phone in her palm to deal another number.

After a few rings, it clicked.

"_Let me guess, calling to see if the Grim Reaper's paid a visit?"_

Her mouth twitched but she soon composed herself. "How are you feeling? Are there any symptoms?"

_"Not yet," _he replied casually._ "But I'm sure we'll have a laugh when we find out that Klaus is a big, fat liar."_

"Yeah, I'm – I'm sure we will," she breathed.

_"Hey, where are you?" _he asked her softly.

"I'm heading out of town, with Matt." She glanced to his side who nodded at her.

_„Oh,"_ Damon breathed_. „Where to?"_

„I'm coming to you, Damon."

She heard something a kin to astonishment coming from the other end. Maybe something like _„Wha-„_ escaped his mouth too, but she wasn't so sure.

Silence echoed on the other end of the line before he replied. _„And the others?"_ he whispered, his voice sounding vulnerable.

„They're together. It's gonna be fine. Klaus lied. Nobody is gonna die. I'll see them later," she said with determination, desperately trying to convince others but herself the most. `

_„Then why're you coming to me, if it's all a lie?"_ he asked her seriously. She bit her lip, unable to answer.

_„You should go back to Stefan, Elena," _he said in a low voice, giving her a chance to change her mind. Reassuring her one last time that he was alright if she chosen her family first. After all, that should have happened in the first place.

She let out a frustrated sigh, closing her eyes. „I'm not backing down now, Damon. I'm coming and you're not stopping me on this. Besides..." She looked out of the window. „It's too late for that now anyway. We're already halfway there."

After a while he said. _„So I get the epic goodbye,"_ he joked. A breathless laugh escaped her lungs at his words. „You're all gonna be fine, Damon." When he didn't answer. „You hear me? You're going to live."

At those words, he felt someone's presence in the room. He turned around just to see Alaric with a not so friendly expression on his face. He gave him a small wave._ „Yeh,"_ he breathed into the phone.

_„How close are you?" _

„I, don't know, hold on." Elena turned sideways. „Matt? How much longer?"

„At least twenty more miles," he replied simply.

_„We're close. I'm gonna see you soon."_

„Real soon..." Damon trailed off, his gaze never leaving Alaric's. „I'll meet you outside, Elena." His hand left his ear as he pressed the button.

"I see you're still pissed," Damon began, taking careful steps towards him. "I take it Goldilocks gave you the _slip_." He popped the "p". At those words Alaric rushed over towards him and punched Damon in the face.

* * *

"You too, Care," she said into the phone and hung up. Pain showing on her features.

"What now?" Matt asked.

She felt her eyes water. "It's Tyler, he um… he's…" she couldn't say more.

"Damn it," Matt exhaled, feeling helpless and angry at the whole thing coming at them. Suddenly he started hitting his fist against the seat.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"Matt, Matt!" Elena yelled over him. "No. Stop it."

He just shook his head. "This isn't how our lives were supposed to be, Elena."

* * *

Alaric was going all out on Damon. He was beaten up pretty badly. Blood was running down his face. He threw him to the ground and Damon just stayed there, too shaken to move. He groaned, rolling to the side a bit.

"You're not gonna fight back?" Alaric asked him in a calm voice, but clearly finding the situation getting on his nerves.

Damon breathed in a few times before responding. "You're kind of invincible, Ric," he let out, grimacing from pain.

"Don't call me that," Alaric said in a dangerous voice and kicked Damon in the face in anger.

"We're not friends," he said pointedly, looming above him.

"We were," Damon said.

"Well, our friendship was part of the problem. It's what kept me weak," Alaric kept going, while Damon tried to sit up. "It's also why it took so long for the real me to break through and now I'm gonna break you," he whispered, leaning in to him. Damon only spared him a glance. And then he swung again, sending Damon backwards. A groan escaped his mouth as he just laid there, his eyes faraway.

He really wanted a moment to himself. Just a moment. But then his phone started buzzing, disturbing his any thoughts. He somehow managed to reach out for his pocket and pick the damn thing up. He crocked a bloody smile as he answered.

"Already missing me, brother?" he quipped. "But sorry, can you call me later? I'm a _little_ bit busy right now." He breathed in and out, watching Alaric's intense gaze on him.

_ "Damon, you need to go down the road. Now!" _Stefan yelled on the phone.

Damon quickly picked on his alarmed tone. "What's going on?" Pushing himself on his elbows.

_"Rebekah backed out on our deal."_

"What?" Damon exclaimed, grimacing at the thought.

_"She's coming after Elena, Damon,"_ Stefan said. Damon hitched a breath from the words. _"She wants Alaric dead. And the only way to do that, is for Elena…" _Stefan couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"To die," Damon breathed out. "Damn it," he cursed under his breath. He groaned as pain hit him.

_"Damon?"_

"I've got it, Stef," Damon said through clenched teeth and picked himself up from the ground. He hung up his phone.

"Finally decided to fight back? Bit out of shape already, don't you think?" Alaric challenged him.

"Change of plans, Ric," Damon said and straightened up, wincing as he stood. "Can't play with you anymore."

"Who's playing," Alaric only said and lunged towards Damon, sending them both flying. Just this time Damon shifted positions and slammed Ric's body below his. "Buddy, I really need you to calm down for me," Damon said while holding him down. "I don't have time for you right now. We can pick this up later if you want, but right now I have to go."

"You're only leaving here died," Ric said and slammed him on the ground again. Damon groaned.

"Elena's in danger!" he gritted through his teeth. He opened his eyes to meet a hesitant Alaric. "And if she dies, so do you," he breathed out. "So let me go, Ric." He locked his eyes with him for a moment and it may have been his wistful thinking but he could have sworn he saw a flicker of recognition spark in his eyes.

"I don't care about that anymore," Alaric said coldly, jumping out from Damon. He watched as Damon stood up, picking on his heavy breathing but the moment of distraction coming from outside was enough for Damon to lung at him with a metal stick, piercing him through.

"Then stick here," Damon said to him and speeded out of the room, leaving Alaric fall to his knees.

He crashed from one corner to another as he sped his way through, his body having not enough strength. The only thing still keeping him going was the fact that Ric was still walking on two feet. It could only mean that he was not yet too late for Elena.

* * *

"I need to call Damon, tell him that we're almost there, but my phone is dying."

Matt pulled out his own phone, keeping his one hand on the wheel. "Here. Use mine." He handed over his phone with the other hand, his eyes flickering towards Elena.

"Thanks," she said and left her gaze fall on the road. She took a sharp breath in, yelling out. "Matt, look out!"

Shocked from her outburst, he quickly turned his head on the road again just to see a figure standing right ahead of them. He swerved to the side, while trying to avoid hitting the body and send the truck flying into the woods, crashing loudly into a tree.

* * *

She groaned, her head lolling to the side. Her ears were ringing. She lifted her hand towards her temple only to find it wet. Blood. She winced when her gesture caused her body to move. It seemed she had more than a gash in her head.

She took several breaths, trying to open her eyes. „Matt..?" she called out.

No answer.

„Matt? Are you alright?" she tried again but still got no answer. She grimaced as she shifted her body sideways to look at the driver's seat.

„My god, Matt," she choked on her words when she saw Matt's bloody head resting on the wheel. She extended her hand towards his pulse point and couldn't find one.

„No no no no. Matt! Get up! Matt!" she yelled in frustration, forgetting about the pain of her body. She tried scooting over to him but then she felt a shift in the air and a ripping sound of her doors being separated from the vehicle. That could only mean that a vampire was behind her. She almost breathed out in relief. It must have been Damon. But the next words, froze her to place.

„I'm sorry, Elena. But they really gave me no choice." Elena turned around to see a blonde haired vampire looking at her in uninterested expression.

„Rebekah," she choked out. „You've got to help, Matt!" Elena raised her voice, gulping air as she spoke.

„Why?" Rebekah asked. „I'm the one who got you like this."

Elena couldn't believe her ears. „That was _you_?" she asked incredulously.

„My brother told me to run and I'm tired of running. But I can guarantee my safety if one person dies." She paused a bit to watch Elena's eyes widen.

„Alaric," she breathed out.

„Yeh," Rebekah agreed. „And that also means you," she said and before Elena could form a thought she felt something pierce her middle body with a heavy force. She gasped. Her hands came to rest around the object poking out of her body. She barely recognised it as a tree branch when she coughed up blood, making her lose air. Her eyes watered as she looked around into the cold night's air. Nobody was present. She glanced sideways. Matt's head was still resting on the wheel with no indication of recovery.

She reached out for him. „Matt, come.. on!" She nudged him on the shoulder. „Breathe!" she choked out with her last bits of strength. Her hand fell limp to her side as she took a shuddering breath in.

A sudden slam on the roof of the truck, made her heart jump out of her skin. With great difficulty she turned her head to the side but calmed down in relief when she saw Damon. He was looking at her with a funny expression on his face, leaning in towards her with his one hand on the top of the vehicle. She saw his mouth moving but she couldn't really understand what was he saying. She soon felt a strange feeling of lightness. It took her a moment to understand that she was being lifted up. The branch must have moved from the change in body position, because she hissed in pain.

„Damon," she exhaled, barely noticing that her head rested on his chest.

„I've got you," a soothing voice reached her ears.

„Matt...first," she breathed out. „He's n..ot..breathing..." Her eyelids starting to shutting down.

„Elena? Keep your eyes open," Damon commanded in a stronger voice. She only let out a breath of air from her mouth.

„Damn it," he cursed under his breath and took her out of the wooded area, out in the open, to lay her on the ground. Elena barely responded when he pulled the branch out of her body, only a small whimper escaping her lips.

He looked her over, his eyes trailing through her body to check for the total damage. He pulled his wrist to his mouth and ripped the flesh with his fangs, leaving a trail of blood rushing down.

„Elena? Can you hear me?" he asked her gently but with determination. One hand cupping her head another bringing his bleeding wrist to her. „I need you to drink this. Come on."

Her eyes were closed as a small sound escaped her mouth. „No," she protested weakly. „Matt. We need to save him. Matt."

Damon clenched his teeth, not letting her go. He brushed some hair from the side of her face. „Elena, focus on me. Look me in the eyes." He picked gently on her eyelids, urging them to flutter. It was hard keeping her eyes open but she forced herself to.

„You have your lung punctured, you need to drink some of my blood." He pressed his now, ripped-open-for-the-second-time, wrist to her mouth. She met his gaze, locking them in place until her lips closed over his wound, sucking on the liquid. With a bit of strength regained, she held his wrist in place with her own hand, feeling a rush of energy fill her insides with each gulp. Damon grimaced a bit. It wasn't doing him much good to lose so much blood now, especially with him so out of shape himself. He had to free his wrist himself, when he was sure she'll be alright. She pressed her lips together, then opening them again, breathing heavily as he laid her head down on the cement again.

„Okay. You're fine now." He stood up and sped over to the crash site again. Elena rolled on her side, trying to stand up. „My God, Matt!"

When she felt herself regain enough strength to stand up, she slumped next to Damon and Matt's laying still body.

Damon ripped his wrist for the third time that evening and put it against Matt's mouth. Only nobody was drinking anything.

„What's going on?" Elena asked, panic getting to her.

„He lost consciousness, he can't drink. Damn it." Damon grimaced at the laying body.

„We need to help him, Damon!" Elena half-shouted to him.

He didn't say anything, his eyes wandering over the body. Then he briskly picked Matt's head in his one hand and turned to Elena.

„Hold him up," he instructed her as she looked at him with mixed emotions, but complied. She held her friend's head in her hands while Damon put his two fingers of his other hand on Matt's throat, forcefully brining the liquid down his system.

She wanted to yell at him. To scream into his face for making such decisions for her. Matt could have died. He _still_ can die right now! She felt her pulse quickening, blood rushing through her veins. She forced herself to steady her breathing to calm down as she watched Damon still working on brining her friend back to life.

„I warned you." His voice shook her from her thoughts. She trailed her gaze on his face just to come across his eyes full of intensity, staring right to her very soul.

„I'll always choose you. Before anything," _or anyone_, the unsaid word echoed inside the dark night. „Else," he ended, boring his eyes into her.

She felt her heart tighten, shortening the air capacity in her lungs. His gaze kept her trapped, unmoving, when a loud gasp of air escaped from the body laying right beside Damon. Matt blinked a few times, feeling lost and still gulping huge breaths of air to his lungs. Damon checked him out with concentrated expression.

„Matt!" Elena squealed, putting his head down on the ground. Damon retreated his wrist to take a better look at him.

„Elena?" Matt parted his lips, with his eyes half-closed. Elena took his hand into her both, a relief filled smile gradually appearing on her face.

„You're going to be fine, Matt."

* * *

**_to be continued..._[depends on your response]**

**A/N: tell me if you want me to go further with this. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for staying with me, people. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this, but let's just see, yeh? If anything, feel free to point out flaws or not, bring in suggestions. **

**Also: **Well, this chapter is focusing more on Elena's acceptance(or not) towards the choice she made. So it's not really episode orientated, but it will pick up on that.

* * *

The ride back home was exhausting. Her feelings were all over the place and she couldn't make sense of any. She sat in the back seat of the car, Stefan was driving (she couldn't be more grateful for having him to come, even after all the awkwardness it presented after her stunt today). Looking out of the open window, she let the night's breeze scatter her bangs, ignoring at least a bit of the silent treatment she was getting _and_ giving in the car.

It was an uncomfortable silence, but she couldn't bare to break it. Matt was as tired as she was from the whole ordeal of the night, but she suspected he was more aware of the tension around the three of them to even get anywhere in between.

She risked a glance to her left side, to a deeply sleeping body. His forehead was wrinkled, drops of sweat showering his now pale face. It took her all willpower to not scoot over and take his head in her lap and soothe the pain away. But it wouldn't be fair to Stefan, even if she wouldn't be doing anything wrong. So she restrained herself from hugging it better or forcing him to take her blood in his system.

The later she already tried, and it didn't work out. Sigh.

Apparently he refused to drink from her even after his body was falling limp to the ground. And Stefan...well, for one reason or another, didn't bring the blood bags..

_"I won't drink from you, Elena," Damon grunted, swooning on his legs while he attempted to stand up straight._

_"Why not?"_

_"Really, Elena? I lost too much blood tonight. You nearly bled out yourself. Do you have a death wish or what?"_

_"What're you saying then? You can give me your blood to heal my injuries but you would rather bleed out than take mine to heal yours? Is that your some sort of pride or what?" she stood her ground, glaring at him with full force._

_"You seem to be missing the main factor. Vampire." He pointed to his chest. "Human." Then to her._

_"So what?" she didn't back down._

_"Soo, even if I do bleed out, which I won't, I'm already healing. I won't really die. I'll regenerate my blood in a few hours. Now quit calling for the Grim Reaper."_

_"Is that it? Or is there another reason for you refusing me offering?"_

_"Is there another reason for You offering it so desperately?" he countered her._

_She opened her mouth to retort but it died out inside her mouth. She couldn't fully understand herself. What was she doing? He was a vampire. Of course he wouldn't die. There's was no real reason for her to insist on something like that. _

_It was beginning to sound more like a pleading for him to feed on her rather than an offer of help. She cringed from her thoughts. She was going insane! He was finally making her loose it. _

_"Look," he sighed and took a few steps towards her. "I appreciate your good heart of wanting to help the poor bleeding soul, but I'll be fine," he said softly, bringing his fingers under her chin to make her look at him. _

_She titled her head to the side, gently meeting his gaze. "I know," she breathed out. "I must be still in shock of the whole…accident…thing."_

_He spared her of any mockery remarks and only settled on a warm smile. "I know."_

_The moment was abruptly cut short when Stefan came into view. "You two coming?" him calling out. _

_Away from any warnings, the moment Stefan came into view, it went like an "okay" sign for Damon, as his body just slumped to the ground, gaining a gasp from Elena's mouth. _

The car came to an abrupt stop. She straightened up in her seat, looking around for the reason. It surprised her to see that they were already standing in the driveway of the Boarding House.

The doors of the driver's seat clicked and Stefan stepped out of the car, pulling the passenger's seat open in a sec. Elena stared at him looming in the shadows of the dark night, taking a hesitant moment of pulling Damon's body out of the car. She scooted over to help pushing him out and that action alone stopped Stefan in his tracks. He stared without focus for a moment but then met her eyes with his own filled with pain.

"Stefan..." she began softly, forcing herself to say, well, anything. He only lowered his gaze, shaking his head sadly at her. With the last smooth move, the older vampire was out of the car, slumped over his brother's shoulder, a small groan escaping his lips.

She took a deep breath, still sitting inside the car. Then glanced to the front of the car and let out a breath of relief when saw Mat's sleeping body. He needed that sleep, but she couldn't be more grateful for him taking it at this very moment.

Careful not to wake him up, she brought her legs out of the vehicle, closing the doors behind herself. She walked towards the front doors of the house, which were slightly ajar but had to stop when Stefan came out, alone.

He closed the door after him and stood there in silence together with Elena. Her head was turning in swirls and knots. She didn't know where to even begin to talk.

"I don't know what to say..." she confessed lightly.

A long, tired sigh came out of his mouth. "You had a long day. Let's not do this today," he said more warmly than she thought herself worthy. Lifting her eyes up, she tried to speak again.

"I just want you to know...What I did today-"

"It's alright," he interrupted her. "I understand."

She watched him, guilt starting to eat her inside. "I don't know if I understand it myself," she breathed out.

* * *

Only when Stefan left her at her home, did she allow herself a moment.

With a mug in her hands, she sat by the counter in the kitchen. The plain waves of water swirling in circles the moment her hands would shake.

_Shaky hands?_

Why were they shaking? Was she scared? She should be...any _normal_ teenager girl would be scared witless of an almost run in with death today, but...nothing about her life was normal. Not since the moment she met two Salvatore brothers. And things just kept on going...down.

What she did today was stupid. Stupid and irrational. Seriously? Did she really make that choice today? A humourless laugh escaped her lips.

She chose to come to _him_, leaving every other important person in her life behind. She let her best friend almost _die_ today. She knew, if there was a choice, he would always choose her. That was like already signing a death warrant for Matt. And if that wasn't enough, at the end of the day, she, Elena Gilbert, was practically beginning for him to drink her blood.

_Who was she?_

That's not who she was. She couldn't recognize herself anymore. She bit on her lower lip, just the right amount of pressure to stifle the angry sob from coming out.

It hurt to think of herself like that. She couldn't be this girl. She couldn't be so selfish to choose one person over hundreds of others. _He_ may be able to do that, but not her.

"Elena?" a soft voice, followed by the creak on the floor snapped her head out of her thoughts.

"Hey," she greeted her brother. Her voice hoarse to the ear.

Concern flashed through his eyes. "You alright?" With steady steps he inched towards her.

She gulped. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. Maybe because my sister almost got killed in a car crash and stabbed by a crazy vampire today?" he asked with a slight humour in his eyes. A ghost of a smile flickered through her face.

"I'm really alright, Jer," she said again.

"Are you? I bet even without you being a vampire that mug will soon snap with all the force you're holding it."

Her eyes narrowed. "Eh?" she let out and the next moment her mug slipped from her shaky hands. It crashed with a loud force on the floor, making her jump out of her seat.

Her one hand on her chest, she looked at the shattered pieces in horror. It was just a mug. True, it may have been her favourite mug, but it was just a mug! But somehow she couldn't help thinking it had a whole meaning of the world.

Before she could register it, tears began rolling down her cheeks. Hands roaming in her hair. Head shaking. Frustrated sighs coming of her mouth.

She felt arms wrapped around her, soothing her in a brotherly embrace. But it was not the right feeling. She wanted more. She needed more. She needed something, _someone_ else. And that only made her a bigger nervous wreck.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Jer," she sobbed.

Then all hell broke loose. "You weren't supposed to have this life. God, I wasn't supposed to live like this...Oh my god, I nearly killed Matt today...it's my fault... he nearly died, Jer."

"It's not your fault, Elena. It was Damon's choice. If anyone's it's his."

She shook her head, violently, in his shoulder. "No. No. No, I knew he would choose me. I knew that. I knew he would sacrifice Matt for me..."

"I knew that too," he said flatly.

Her heart skipped a beat. "Wh-what?" she breathed. They broke the embrace, her looking at her brother with wondering, watery eyes.

"I know you, Elena. You're my sister. And you would sacrifice yourself for others. But I knew if we took you to Damon, he would keep you safe."

"Bu-but Matt! What about Matt?"

"Matt agreed," he said simply.

Anger suddenly burned inside her. "It's Matt's life! How could you...play with it like that?!" Her whole body shaking.

"I wanted my sister alive!" he said in a raised voice. She stopped her tremors.

"We don't have anyone else anymore, Elena. It's only the two of us. I know I'm being selfish but I'm alright with that."

Her brows furrowed. Heart clenching for him. "Jer..."

"And although I don't like the guy, at least I trust him to keep you safe. Stefan is a good guy, but he would let you die."

"No, he wouldn't," she countered at once in desperation.

"Yes, he would. And you know it! If you asked him to get Matt first, he would do it."

She kept shaking her head. "You would be dead now, Elena. My sister would be dead."

She closed her eyes. What, was she supposed to be thankful for being saved now? For_ always_ being saved? Instead of others? She was getting fed up with it.

And this new person she was changing into... Stefan said she looked 'tougher'...but was that only it?

"No..." she whispered. "I can't do this. It's wrong. ...Oh my God... Stefan...what we've been through. After everything. How could I've done this to him?" she whispered in horror.

"Elena..." Jeremy began, but she held out her hand to him.

"I need...I need time alone, Jer." When he tried to say something. "Please," she added.

He nodded at her and turned to leave. Just at the beginning of stairs, he whispered. "You know, you don't owe your heart to anyone," he said simply and went upstairs.

* * *

She let the water run in her bathroom. The glass misting from the dry and warm temperature. Brushing her hand against it, she could see her reflection again. Her hair was tangled in unnatural sides, giving a wild look to her image, her eyes puffy from her previous break down.

She was a mess. And she knew that. But her inner mess was a whole lot worse than this creature staring at her through the mirror.

She had to get a hold of herself because those burning _feelings_ she had inside her... no, she couldn't act on them. Not if it made her makes those choices.

_Not if it made her loathe herself for being unable to regret them..._

She splashed her face with cold water, momentary letting her face muscles relax by it and after whipping it dry, went for her room.

She walked inside, taking a step further, when she came to an abrupt stop. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. She bet it could've jumped out of her body right then and there. He was the _last_ and _first_ person she wanted to see right now. She swallowed tightly.

His timing was, as always - _priceless. _

She blinked a few times, her body relaxing, moments later. "Damon," she breathed out. He gave her a small smile.

"H-how long were you sitting there?" Her voice sounded breathless. Just from seeing him. He looked so dazzling in the light of the moon, sitting by the window sill... no! she had to...stop!

"Long enough to know you're hiding from the little Gilbert," he quipped. "Got anything to share?"

"No…" she said with an uneasy smile creeping on her face. She couldn't seem to relax. His eye twitched in confusion, picking on her weirdness.

He stood up from the window sill. "Hey, you alright?" he asked her in concern, asking her eyes for attention. He kept himself by the window sill, for some reason feeling the need to.

"Yeh, I'm fine," she said, lifting her eyes to his. When she looked at his face, she had a flash of his bloodied shape back on the road and her brows furrowed. Momentary forgetting all her worries, she crossed the room, stopping a couple of steps away from him. When she was close enough, she reached out to touch his face.

"What about you? Are you alright now? Everything healed?" Her fingertips brushing his skin. He let the feeling sink in for him, while watching her concentrated expression of deep concern on her face. His mouth quivered just a bit, but he was a master, if anything, at hiding his feelings, so it was soon hidden under his casual mask.

"Nothing a couple of blood bags couldn't fix." He smirked. She let out a breath. A relieved smile, playing on her face.

"Good then." She let her hand drop to her side. She still had a smile on her face but after several seconds passed and he still said nothing, she began to start feeling nervous. And not in a frightened way. Although, that may have been the case too.

"You came to me…" he whispered faintly after a while, making her eyes flicker on him. He attempted a small, nervous smile on his face. "That meant something."

"Damon, that's…" she started faintly, closing her eyes. Was he really choosing this moment, today, to get their feelings sorted out? She was fairly sure he couldn't have picked the more awful timing of the year for that.

"You chose me, Elena." She felt how the air shifted around them, him closing the gap between them. His eyes travelled over her face. "Don't tell me you don't feel this." He brushed his fingers along her jawline, the path trailing down over her throat with feather like gestures. She felt a shiver run down her body.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered, her body tensing up. He stopped his movements.

"Because by coming to me today you let me imagine what it would be like to _be_ with you. You let me hope, Elena." He cupped her jaw tenderly, urging her to lift her eyes to his. "Hope that this could be," he breathed, his body radiating heat from their close proximity. She breathed in and out, feeling every inch of where his body collided with hers even without super vampire senses. He was close enough for her to feel the hot air emitting from his mouth. With half-closed eyes she could see that it wouldn't take much of an effort to just dip her head forward and close the damn gap between the two of them… But at the very last moment, she felt her senses coming back to her.

"Damon, it's…everyone was _dying_. I…I thought I was never gonna _see_ you again," she whispered with a sad smile on her face. Damon furrowed his brows at that.

"What're you saying, Elena?" His hand dropped to his side. Her heart skipped a bit. She was starting to get nervous and not in a pleasant, overwhelming way.

She brushed one hand over her forehead, another supporting her hip. "I thought you were gonna die, Damon. I had to come-" She knew she was making no sense. It couldn't have been the only reason why she had chosen to come to him. You just don't abandon your whole _life_ because you felt…pity for someone. But that was the only reason she could offer, which she was sure of, and she didn't have to loathe herself about, so she stuck with that.

"What, are you saying it's another deathbed pity action of yours?" he raised his voice in question, it coming as strangled.

"No!" she shot at him within a sec. _Good job, Gilbert, now you lost your only chance of making it...not about your feelings._

"What then?!" he advanced on her.

"I don't know!" she shouted in desperation. "You were dying and I-"

"I don't want you in _death_, Elena," he exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. He stared at her with intensity, locking her gaze with his. She swallowed nervously. "I want you _alive_," he started again, taking a step closer, towards her. His own eyes filled with vulnerability. "I want a _life_ with you." A ghostly touch brushed a strand of hair from her face, eyes running over her features.

It was starting to be hard to breathe. She inhaled a shaky breath, breaking the eye contact. "I, I can't do this right now, Damon." She took a step back. She prayed for a moment to herself, to get herself back on track but then a bitter laugh reached her ears. She lifted her gaze to come across a hurt expression on his face, which was soon masked with an all knowing tight smile on his face.

"Can't believe I expected anything else," he began, his tone sounding more distant by the second. She furrowed her brows at him. "It's always going to be Stefan," he echoed her, clenching his teeth, while his gaze stopped its focus.

"What?" she breathed. _What was he talking about now?_ "No. Why would you say that?" She narrowed her eyes." It got nothing to _do _with Stefan. It's about me. What _I_ feel."

She felt the rise and fall of her chest as she spoke. _Seriously?_ It got nothing to do with Stefan? Then what was that guild-ridden talk with Jeremy just half an hour ago about? She was loosing it... again! Because of _him_. And it's...it was starting to really become _not_ about Stefan...

"And what do you feel?" His piercing blue eyes caught her off guard and she could do nothing but stare for a moment. Her mouth opened a few times, closing the next like a fish asking for water. But then she just shrugged with a tremor running down her body.

"I... I'm not sure what I feel," she said faintly.

He stared at her without saying a word for a while. When his eyes locked with hers again, he already had his shields up. "Oh, you're sure." His eyes went downwards, hiding the pain away.

"You just can't accept the fact that you could want me."

He lifted his eyes to hers, making her breath hitch. He shook his head at her, clenching his teeth and turned to walk away, towards the window.

"Damon…" she took an involuntary step forward, without really knowing what she meant to say. He stopped in his tracks, but kept his back on her. Only his head turned slightly sideways as he spoke his last words.

"You shouldn't have come to me today if you didn't mean it."

She blinked and the next moment he was gone.

* * *

**_to be continued..._**

**reviews would make my day ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for your support ^^ **

* * *

The front doors slammed shut.

Without giving anything or anyone else, who might have been around, any thought, Damon made his way towards the table with bourbon, pouring himself a so much needed drink. He had his first in one go, gripping the glass in frustration afterwards. His jaw clenched tightly.

His brows furrowed, when he picked upon the presence in the room. "Not in the mood, _Stefan_," he sang in an annoyed voice.

The other vampire seemed to not be getting the hint and simply continued walking further inside the parlour.

"Funny, because I thought it was for me to say that," Stefan said with much nonchalance in his voice, and a few drops of bitterness. He reached out for another glass and poured himself a drink. Damon twitched his eye in annoyance.

"Well, you might as well drop the brooding face because it seems I won't be celebrating _anything,_" he said with a forced smirk, raising his glass towards Stefan in toast. Stefan furrowed his brows in confusion as Damon walked past him to stand in front of the fireplace. Damon could practically hear the screws swirling inside his brother's head and it was making him lose his patience.

"Oh, don't look so surprised," Damon snapped at Stefan's annoyingly disbelieving face. "Clearly you didn't think her choosing to come to me for _one time_ was gonna make her forget all of the memories of the rainbows and unicorns," he spat.

"It was more than that," Stefan said in a low, steady voice.

"I'm sure," Damon said in a whisper.

"She chose you today," Stefan said, pressing his lips together. "I thought it meant something."

"Obviously not for her," Damon said in a hurry, barely containing his temper. "So why don't you do us all a favour and go talk it out with her. Profess your undying love. March in the sunset or whatever you lovebirds do." He gestured with his glass, which was already refilled.

Stefan stood there, watching his brother shaking from burning emotions inside him. "You know," he started. "I was prepared to let go." Damon glanced at him at that. "If she chose you, I was prepared to let her go... Because I can't even blame her." He raised his eyebrows as if in thought. "I left and you were there for her," he continued on in a sad understanding voice.

Damon curled his lip as his forehead wrinkled. "Don't make it sound like I'm some kind of accident to her," he whispered in a grave voice.

"Oh, you're not," Stefan agreed. "You're the price of my mistake."

They both stared at each other, Damon eyes widening slightly and then settling down on unfocused.

"Well maybe you should've thought better when saving me," he deadpanned, his face void of any emotions. He lowered his hand to put the glass back down on the table and sparing himself from Stefan's attempts on glueing the situation better, disappeared with a flash in a somehow cold night.

* * *

He needed to feed.

Screw the blood bags and his hero-model of the Salvatore brothers. It was only temporally after all. Stefan was fully back and so he could take back over his duties. It was time, Damon took his. And he needed to start by getting a proper drink finally.

He needed to kill.

It appeared he didn't have to wait long for his victim. A young lad, walking down the road with a silly smile on his face while watching his cell phone was as good as any. _The damn smitten ones._ Another unicorn ride. Damon flashed himself to stand right in front of him. Startled by a sudden movement, the stranger dropped his phone from his hands, but then put on a frown.

"Can I help you?" he asked. Damon smirked at him.

"I think you can. You see..." Damon trailed off, titling his head to the side. "I'm a bit hungry. And mad. Annoyed. Pissed off. Whichever adjective you want to use." He shrugged casually.

"Then I suggest you go to some dinner. I don't have money. Even if you wanted to rob me," the stranger said in annoyance.

"Well, that's where I'm lucky. 'Cos you see... my meal is right here," Damon said and let his vampire side take over him. Black veins appearing on his face, fangs protruding. The lad's face twisted to one of horror. He took a shaking step backwards.

"Wh-who are you? Wha-what do you want?"

Damon furrowed his brow. "I think I just told you," he muttered in annoyance. "Now, be quiet," he compelled him and took a step towards him. Grabbing him by his shoulders to stop his struggling, until adding. "And stay still." His pupils dilated once more. He inhaled the sweet smell of adrenaline, watching the rhythmic pulsation of the carotid artery he had his eyes on. And then he dove in.

It was truly a bliss. After such a while, he could finally feast without the care in the world. Why in the world did he even think, even for a moment, that he could take the role of a good brother? That was Stefan. Not him. And here again, annoyance coming back in full buckets from the thoughts of his brother and what he might be doing now.

Probably with Elena.

Thinking about Elena made his blood boil even more and he added more force to the draining of the blood of his victim. He could feel the body starting to weaken, only Damon's grip holding him in place. Soon and his heart would stop. That last beating sound and then all gone.

_Because I don't want you to be what other people think you are._

He furrowed his brows, clutching the body tighter to his hold.

_Why don't you let people see the good in you?_

Just a few more drops and he could feel the sensation of the life ending, of satisfying his natural predatory instincts.

_I'm coming to you, Damon._

And just like that, the body was on the ground. Panting heavily, blood dripping from his mouth, Damon had his fists clenching and unclenching. His gaze travelled towards the poor soul on the ground.

Thump...thump...

Beating. That damn thing was still beating. Well, he wouldn't have to worry too much about that. In a few moments the human body would bleed out and there would be no helping him. Only Damon was already leaning in, piercing his skin and brining it to the ex-victim's mouth. It took a while, considering how much had he drained, but he could rest assured that there won't be any dying or coming back as a vampire today.

Unless the lad got himself killed on his own. But that...was none of his business.

It was pathetic. The thing that meant _nothing_ to her, haunting him like a golden crown. How long will her morals have to chase after him, reminding him to be different of how he naturally is. Scratch that. Reminding him of his _human_ side.

With a groan, the lad started waking up. Damon glared at him._ He was supposed to be dead. _

As soon as the eyes came back to focus, they widened in recognition and horror. Damon quickly grabbed his face, locking their eyes. "Consider yourself very lucky," he muttered in annoyance. Then his pupils dilated. "You're not going to remember ever meeting me and you're going to live the rest of your pathetic life thinking how lucky you're to still be breathing." He then released the head. "Now go."

He watched how the boy collected his phone, and disappeared into the night. And Damon was left on the cold cement. Unsatisfied.

* * *

It's been a couple of days since she last saw him. She suspected that he and her brother were in touch from time to time but every time she tried confronting Jeremy about it, he just shrugged her off. Actually, she began to think that even Caroline heard more from Damon than her in the past few days. True, she didn't come looking for him, but neither did he. And that made her heart ache.

Maybe she was afraid of what she would see when she got to him...or with _whom_... A deep frown appeared on her forehead but she quickly shook her head out of similar thoughts.

She sighed while taking a seat in the kitchen. Jeremy already sat opposite her.

Unaware of her brother's gaze, Elena munched her sandwich silently. She couldn't really feel the taste, her thoughts taking her far away, only the base instinct of chewing made her eat. From time to time her eyes would flicker on the object, put on her left. But then she would abruptly avert her eyes and resume her chewing.

„Just call, if it bothers you so much," Jeremy said all of a sudden. Elena coughed on her piece of bread but managed to make it go past her throat without choking.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. „I don't know what you mean," she said nonchalantly. She kept her eyes on her food, after a while they followed towards the table and then to her brother's knowing smile.

She rolled her eyes. „If he doesn't want to talk, I'm not going to search for him," she said, her voice sounding edgy. She put her sandwich down on her plate, suddenly losing interest in pretending to be hungry.

„I never said anything about a _he."_

Elena's eyes shot up at Jeremy at once, sending him a glare but then she only sighed. „Alright, smartass, finish your breakfast and go to work," she said and stood up, bringing the plate to the washer.

„What about you? What're you going to do today?" Jeremy asked.

„Will probably go out. I need some time to refresh my head. Things just been... a bit too much for the past...I don't even know how long." She furrowed her brows at her cell phone's screen. "I just can't reach Caroline for some reason...it's...weird..." she trailed off in thought. Jeremy raised an eyebrow at her. „Which also means," she said in a more enthusiastic tone, grabbing the last plate from the table. „That I'm _not_ waiting for Damon's call," she told him and suddenly felt a lot better for being able to come up with a presentable reason.

„It's Caroline's," she said almost cheerfully.

„Right..." Jeremy only stressed the word but didn't say more.

* * *

With a few rings, it finally clicked.

_"Stefan! Thank God, you finally picked up. I've been calling you like...since yesterday!"_ Caroline's hyper voice echoed from the other side of the line.

"I know, Caroline. I'm sorry."

"Hey, how're you feeling? I've been to Matt's, I can't believe that Elena _did_ that! She must've gone mad. Like, seriously? What did she think she was doing coming to Damon?"

A small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. It seemed like Caroline was more concerned about the matter than he was. "It was her choice, Care."

"It was a mistake. And I'm sure Elena will soon realise that," Caroline said with conviction in her voice.

"I'm not so sure about that..." Stefan muttered, leaving a heavy silence on the line. Caroline shifted near the front door of her home, keys dangling in her hand.

"And you?" Stefan broke the silence. "How're you? About Tyler?"

"I..." Caroline let out. "I don't know," she confessed in a small voice. "I don't think it's fully sunk in yet. I had to be on my way to Florida but instead going to spend my hiding time at Matt's house and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to even feel about all of what's happened."

"Florida? Why were you going to Florida?"

"Eh? Oh. Oh! Oh my God," Caroline yelled out. "You distracted me! I nearly forgot why was I calling."

"I thought it was about Elena," Stefan attempted a light tone.

"No. Well, yes. Partly that too, but anyway. So here's what's going on. Yesterday my mother and Carol were at my house. And guess what? Alaric sold us out! Like the whole council knows about us now! I mean, they're first coming at me, but I doubt it's gonna take much time for them to find the rest of you."

Stefan inhaled deeply. "You shouldn't stay alone, Care."

"I know, I know. That's why I'm going back to Matt's. Got spare key and all." She opened the front door, stepping outside.

"Thanks for telling me, Caroline," Stefan said.

"That's what friends are for," Caroline said.

"Be careful, I'll call you later," he said and hung up.

"Mr. Salvatore," a voice from the side greeted him. Stefan turned around and saw himself being surrounded by an armed group and Pastor Young in the middle. The vampire narrowed his eyes at them.

"I think you'll be going with us."

* * *

He did not care. He didn't! He was perfectly fine living his life without seeing those beautiful…wait a minute, if he was prepared to do this, he might as well do it right. So let's try again. No, he was not missing her dazzling smile….

Screw this. He was not fooling anyone. He was missing her like a mad man and he knew it. Hell, everyone in Mystic Falls knew it. It wouldn't surprise him if the whole world knew it…if he was roaming around it, as he should.

But no. He was staying in the forsaken land, otherwise known as, Mystic Falls, ("Grill" if to be precise) _"Where nothing bad happens."_ Heh. That was like the worst understatement of the decade. Aand…here he was again. Thinking about her.

He swirled his drink between his fingers, somehow taking an interest in the way the liquid ran from side to side.

_Thinking about her..._

Not like he could do much about it. Really. Not like he was not the happiest, as much as sickly cliché it sounded, man in the universe when he heard her say that she was coming for _him_. To him. For him. Not for Stefan.

But that just couldn't last long. No. He couldn't get a single happy day in his life, because then things just _had_ to go down. Her nearly dying. When he saw that damn branch sticking out her body…

But then he healed her, and all was good! Well, he might have fainted, but let's get over it. He did. So! Then he couldn't help this… okay, he might as well choke himself now but, he felt giddy all over the place. And with that feeling in mind, he came to her room.

Alarming bells rang the moment he saw her dishevelled state. But he still _tried _to excuse it as an aftershock from the day's events…

But then she said…

Okay, so apparently the _them _he was so caught up with, wasn't even anywhere in the reality. Not in any history books, not in future plans, hell, it seemed it wasn't even an option in her mind.

She chose to come to him because he was dying… well, to hell with it. If his heart wasn't already dead enough… to say it was crushed, would be really polishing things up.

What's with them and deathbed pity romances?

And Stefan?

Stefan, Stefan, Stefan...he was not even going down that road. He literally had no comments regarding his brother's latest confession. A mistake? A freaking mistake? Well...if by anyone, he really never thought his whole existence would be dismissed as that by his own brother.

A buzzing sound started to bring him back out of his musings. His brows twitched in annoyance. Whatever that sound was, it was starting to get on his nerves. They better shut it, fast. Suddenly, he heard Donovan's voice ring out.

"Aren't you going to take it?"

He slowly lifted his eyes from the drink in his hand, giving a piercing glare to the busboy.

"It's ringing," Matt said nonchalantly. Damon twitched his eyes. "How much had you had?" Matt laughed, ignoring Damon's warning sings. "Your phone!" He pointed at the thing, moving on the table right next to him.

Damon pressed his lips together. "I know," he bit out. "But I was hoping it would get the hint."

Matt only shrugged his brows, getting back on whipping the glasses clean. The buzzing sound stopped. Damon relaxed back into his thoughts, sipping the drink casually. But, of course, it didn't last long. Even before the actual sound reached their ears, Damon could feel the electro wave disturbing the damn object.

Matt reached out in his pocket, getting his ringing phone out. His one finger was already on the "answer" button, when he felt it being snatched from his grasp. "It's my call," he said, narrowing his eyes at the vampire.

"Don't be so full of yourself," Damon gave him a meaningful look and pressed the answer button.

"Yes, Liz. I'm listening. What happened in this forsaken town again?"

* * *

Finishing up in the kitchen, Elena grabbed the keys and headed for the door. Only they swung open of their own accord.

Her eyes widened a bit when she saw that it was...who it was.

She stopped dead in her tracks, her whole body holding still for a moment. She took an uneven breath in, refusing to show the effect he always had on her and which only seemed to grow after _the fateful night_. Her heartbeat picked up and she cursed herself silently for not being able to silence it down. She was starting to get restless and he hadn't even said anything yet!

She swallowed, getting ready for whatever snarky, rude or hurtful remarks he had ready for her. She had hurt him. She didn't mean to, but she did. Her choice hurt more than one person, but it was the right one. She refused to think otherwise.

She inhaled, opening her mouth, but the words never left her mouth. Not only Damon said nothing in greeting of her (which... hurt) he just brushed past her shoulder and went inside. She blinked a few times.

„Hello to you too, Damon," she said with a sigh, after closing the doors.

„Is Stefan here?" he asked in an urgent voice. His whole posture seemed tense, his eyes roaming around the room in a frantic search of something.

She furrowed her brows. „Um, no. I haven't seen him since... the whole ordeal with Klaus."_  
_

Stefan...she had been postponing their talk as much as she was able to (not ready to face everything what meant for their future) but she knew they had to do it soon. It was Stefan. Her first love. Her first _everything._ He deserved honesty from her.

Damon suddenly disturbed her thoughts. „Damn it." He grimaced, pacing anxiously around the room, brushing his hand into his hair.

„Damon, what's going on?" Elena asked, edging towards him. He turned around, but wouldn't meet her eyes. His own frantically looking around as if something would jump out of the shadows.

„The council took him," he said and went to look over the curtains.

„What?" she breathed out in confusion. "What do you mean the council took him? Took him as in taking him to a meeting or..." she trailed off. _What was going on?_

"As in kidnapped him," Damon shot back at once.

„What?" Her eyes widened. "Hold on, how's that even... Why, why would they even do that? They're on _our_ side!" she cried with a disbelieving look on her face.

He grimaced. „Not anymore." He took both curtains in his hands and drew them together, creating a dim shadow in the room.

"Apparently Ric went for a little visit to the council and spilled the beans on the families secrets," Damon said in an annoyed but concentrated voice. He walked back inside the room. „So now Father Glory is on a mission of cleansing Mystic Falls from the grasps of the devils," he quipped with a disturbed grimace.

„Oh my god." she put a hand on her forehead. „And they got Stefan?"

„Him too," he agreed. Elena looked at him, their eyes locked together and she could see that there was more to that.

„Who else?" she asked quietly. Damon didn't say anything, only the frown on his forehead deepening.

„Damon, who else has the council took?!" she demanded, her hand falling from her forehead.

„I haven't checked everyone, but they already nailed Rebekah, and there seems to be a lack of blonde hair at the Forbes. And who _knows_ who else," he exclaimed. „I actually am starting to think that I'm the last unconfined vampire walking Mystic Falls grounds."

„Oh my god." Her eyes widened. „We've got to do something about it," she breathed out, her forehead wrinkling in concentration.

„I'm,_ doing_ something." Damon walked around the room. „You, are going into hiding." He shot her a pointed look.

„What? No." She narrowed her eyes at him. „Damon, you're _not_ making me stay out of this!"

"I am. And we can either do this the easy or the hard way. Your choice. As always." He smirked at her, shrugging his hands to his sides.

She took in a deep breath, calming down her nerves. "Then _I_ am choosing to go with you. I'm not going to just sit around while my friends are in danger!" she insisted.

"Beep," Damon sang, pointing with his mouth. "Wrong answer. It was a fifty/fifty question. Which way you want to go to safety and _not_ whether you want it or not," he said, annoyed.

"You can't do this to me, Damon!" Elena started, taking big steps towards him. She was nearing him, when...

_Ding dong._

„Oh, look who's here?" Damon gave her a sarcastic smirk and went to open the door.

„Damon," Elena gritted under her breath.

Sheriff Forbes stepped inside the house. „Damon." She nodded at him. „Hello, Elena."

„Sheriff Forbes," Elena breathed out. She glanced towards the doors and soon Meridith came out from them too.

Elena's eyebrows shot up. „Meridith."

„Yeeh," Damon stressed the word. „Called her too." He closed the door after Meridith and followed the trio inside.

„Now, please tell me you have something, anything."

Liz shook her hands to her sides helplessly. „I can't. The Council locked Carol and me out of our offices. Files, computers, everything."

Meridith and Damon glanced at each other. „So," Damon began, advancing on Liz. „The Mayor and the Sheriff never contemplated a backup plan, Liz?" he asked her with pressure.

„Damon," Elena chided him, giving him a stare. „We just have to think of another way out."

„I agree, Elena," Damon turned to look at her. „Have _you_ got a backup plan?"

„No... I don't have it-„ She cast her eyes downwards. And wanted to add „_yet_" but got no chance to do so.

„Well, then," Damon cut her off, putting his lips together. She bit her lips to stifle a nasty retort at him.

Liz and Meridith shared a glance. „Damon, relax," Meridith decided to cut in. „When Caroline called to say she got away; did she know where they were planning to take her?" she asked, directing the question towards Liz.

"Wait," Elena interrupted. "Caroline got away?" she breathed out in relief.

„Yes, Elena," Liz agreed, smiling slightly. "She's safe for now."

"Can we focus?" Damon cut in sharply.

Liz sighed. "No." She turned her head to face Meridith again. „She didn't say where, just that she was in some van in the middle of nowhere and she managed to escape."

"Perfect. We've narrowed it down to nowhere," Damon exclaimed in irritation.

_Knock knock. _

Damon closed his eyes tightly shut. There were times when those sounds were welcome, but other, like right now, when they just _weren't_.

Everyone looked up towards the entrance. Matt entered the house. "Hey," he breathed out, slightly bit out of breath. "I just wanted to ask if anyone saw Caroline?" he asked hopefully. "She was supposed to come to my house."

"Perfect. Donovan, join the party," Damon quipped. "Just what we needed."

* * *

"Okay, we can leave now, then," Matt said after they discussed their plan of actions. To which Elena couldn't disagree more.

She took a step towards Damon. "I should come with you too," she said with conviction in her voice.

"Oh," he groaned. "It's starting," he sang through his teeth.

She ignored his annoyance. "I can't be the only one out of it." She raised her voice. "I'm coming with you."

He turned his head to look straight into her eyes. "No, what you _are _going to do, is stay put somewhere safe."

"The council only wants vampires dead. How's that not safe for me?"

He widened his eyes at her, looking at her almost in disbelief. "Have you forgotten about our old friend Ric already?" he asked in a raised voice. She parted her lips. "He's still a problem, _Elena_."

She lowered her eyes from his piercing gaze. "I-I know," she breathed. Though she knew that he knew that she completely forgot about him for a moment there. Or just simply didn't care about that fact.

Thankfully Damon at least didn't comment on _that._ He just continued in an irritated voice. "And when the sun goes down, he's going to come after you. Surprising he hadn't done that yet." She lifted her eyes to his, which were burning with intensity. "He's running on _beyond_ crazy, now," he cried. "He doesn't _care_ if he lives or dies," he exclaimed. "No, in fact, I think he _wants_ to die." He grimaced. "And I won't have time to keep and eye on you because I have to rescue my brother!" He then considered. "And maybe, probably, every other vampire in this town," he added reluctantly.

She held onto his gaze calmly. "I could help distracting them. I could talk with the Pastor while you free the vampires."

"Elena," Damon said warningly. "The answer is no."

"Don't be such a stubborn ass!" she yelled out.

"And _you_ don't be so stupid!" he shot back. "Distracting the council? Like hell I'm allowing that. I won't have time to worry about you!"

"And you don't have to! I'm human, the council doesn't want me!"

"Exactly. You're human. And who do you think are in all those cages? Vegetarian pandas?" he snapped at her.

She stayed silent at that.

"They're vampires, _Elena_. Vervained and starved _vampires_! You go there and you'll be dead in a second. Snap of the fingers." He snapped his fingers in a gesture. „Like that, and you're gone." He looked at her with his teeth clenched tightly together.

"Stefan would be there. He won't hurt me."

"Ah. Good ol' Steffan," Damon said sarcastically. "Because _he_ is the one with the _most_ control of us all!" he yelled out in anger.

She pressed her lips together. "Damon, _please,_ we're past this already. Don't do this," she pleaded, her eyes searching of any understanding in his.

"No. _You_ don't do this, Elena." He leaned in to her. His face close enough for her to feel his breath on her. "I don't give a crap that you can't make up your mind on your decisions or the fact that you can't accept me-"

"Damon-"

"But I still do care to keep you alive." His voice failed not to crack at the end. Which he probably hated more than ever now. He swallowed. "So get over it and go to the damn safe place with Liz." He held their eyes together for a moment longer and walked out of the doors.

"Donovan!" he called out. Matt simply followed after him.

* * *

Liz glanced to her side, where Elena sat, with her hands crossed. „It's for the best," she tried to soothe her.

„It's not," Elena replied in an instant, stubbornly keeping her eyes on the window.

Liz sighed. „You can't really blame him for wanting to keep you safe," she tried again, darting her eyes to the girl and then back on the road.

Finally Elena turned her head towards the Sheriff. „Then why can _he_ blame me for wanting the same for him?" she asked in desperation, to which Liz titled her head to the side helplessly, trying to find the right words.

Elena shook her head and resumed watching out of the window. „Everyone is taken by a bunch which wants them all _dead_. And _he_ just went to fight alone!" She snorted humourlessly. „I don't even know what to say to that." She breathed in and out, getting more worked up by the second.

Suddenly her phone came to life. She took her cell from her pocket and read the message.

_Matt: They got Damon. He won't be __able to escape. They vervained __him._

* * *

**_to be continued..._**

**Be kind and tell me if you hate it or not ;D**


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